Tag Archives: zest

Melon Pops

The first batch of these did not quite hit the spot. With a little tweaking, the recipe has become a great chilly treat for a hot summer day. I usually make them two tiered with halves of both the cantaloupe and honeydew melons.

Melon Pops
Melon Pops

6 servings (8 oz. pops)
59 calories per serving

2 c diced honeydew melon
1/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
Grated zest of 1 lime
1 T honey
1 T Splenda

Mix 2 c of melon with yogurt, lime juice, honey, Splenda and zest and blend until smooth. Fill the pop molds, insert sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

Canteloupe – As a variation, replace honeydew with cantaloupe.

You may want to make both variations and make a layered melon pop. If you do this, freeze the first ‘layer’ for 1 hour – then add the second and insert the sticks and freeze at least 6 hours.

Tomatoes and Orzo

The lemon and lemon zest are what make this dish so special – it is unexpected paired with pasta but once you taste it, you definitely want more. And in my opinion, orzo is one of the best pastas out there – I love it in side dishes, in soups, in casseroles, any way it is served 🙂

Tomatoes and Orzo
Tomatoes and Orzo

5 servings
202 calories per serving

1 c uncooked orzo
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 T oil
1 T lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Cook orzo 9-11 minutes in boiling water. Drain and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Lemony Green Beans

Way better than the standard green bean and Durkee onion casserole ! So much fresher and oodles more flavor !!

Lemony Green Beans
Lemony Green Beans

4 servings
49 calories per serving

1 pound green beans in 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons butter sprinkles (I Use Molly McButter)
2 teaspoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon oil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large pan, bring 1 inch water to a boil and place the beans on a steaming rack inside the pan. Cover and steam for 5 – 7 minutes. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the butter, basil, zest, oil and pepper. Mix well and serve immediately.

Ginger Carrots

Carrots never tasted so fresh ! The combination of ingredients gives this dish a really flavorful punch. Definitely not the same old boring vegetable !

Ginger Carrots
Ginger Carrots

4 servings
61 calories per serving

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrot chips
1 T buttery spread
1 t minced fresh ginger (bottled is OK if you do not have fresh)
1 T cilantro, chopped
1 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 t salt

Steam carrots 8 minutes or until tender. A simple steamer basket is the easiest way to steam vegetables. I use one like this:

Heat butter in a skillet. Add garlic and ginger to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in steamed carrots, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Serve immediately.

To quickly zest citrus, try this handy tool I found at Amazon:

Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken

A great recipe that is as tasty as my original ‘non diet’ version of this dish. It takes 5 minutes to throw it together and then it cooks for 6 hours in a crock pot leaving you time to blog while your dinner cooks 🙂 Serve with Rice and Pasta with Parmesan Cheese and Sauteed Spinach with Garlic for a great complete meal under 400 calories.


Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken
Crock Pot 20 Clove Chicken





6 servings
170 calories per serving

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (120 calories each – 4 ounces each)
¼ c white cooking wine or dry white wine
20 cloves whole garlic
4 stalks of celery, sliced
2 T basil flakes
2 t parsley flakes
1/8 t red pepper flakes
¼ c white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon (just the yellow, not the bitter white)
Pam

Zesting Lemons, Limes and Oranges is a snap with this tool. I have a whole set of Microplane graters from fine to coarse and they never fail to get the job done easily and quickly.

In a small bowl, mix the wine with the basil, parsley and red pepper flakes. Spray a skillet with a small amount of Pam and heat on high for a few moments. Quickly brown the chicken on both sides and remove from pan so they do not cook too much. Add the garlic and celery to the wine mix and stir around to coat well. Place the garlic mix in the bottom of the crock pot.

Place browned chicken breasts atop the garlic mix. Squirt the juice of one lemon over the chicken. Put the zest of one lemon over the chicken. Add salt and pepper. Cover the crock and cook on low 6 hours.

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